The present invention relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly to disposable diapers.
A various assortment of disposable diapers have been proposed for use on infants, and have become increasingly popular with parents since they may be discarded after a single use and need not be laundered. Such diapers are normally constructed having a fluid impervious backing sheet, a fluid pervious top or cover sheet, and an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and cover sheets.
Many of the diapers have been provided with tape fasteners which are used to secure the diaper about the infant. Such fasteners generally take the form of a pressure-sensitive tape strip having a first end attached to the diaper and a second securement end which is attached to the diaper during placement. Prior to use, adhesive on the securement end must be covered to prevent premature contact of the adhesive against the diaper or other article. Hence, in one form, the fasteners have been provided with separate release sheets which cover the adhesive on the securement ends. However, this form of tape fastener has been found lacking in that the release sheets must be discarded when removed at the time of diaper placement, thus causing inconvenience to the parents. In an alternative form, the separate release sheets have been anchored to the front surface of the diaper itself, and the securement ends are peeled from the release sheets during placement of the diaper, after which the first ends of the tape strips, which are attached to the back surface of the diaper, retain the tape strips to this portion of the diaper. Of course, an overriding consideration in construction of the diaper is the cost of manufacture, since the diaper must be inexpensive to the consumer due to its disposability. The manufacturing equipment required to place the alternative fastener on the diaper is unduly complex, thus adding to the cost of the diaper, since the release sheet must be placed on the front surface of the diaper, the first end of the tape strip must be attached to the back surface of the diaper, and the securement end of the tape strip must be folded around a side edge of the diaper and attached to the release sheet.